Professional standards

One of ASIS’s primary aims is to create an established professional standard for somatic sexology. ASIS sets a high standard of ethical conduct and professional behaviour across the industry. Being a member of ASIS reflects the individual practitioner’s level of competence and expertise.

Community support

As somatic sexology has emerged, many practitioners have found themselves feeling isolated and alone in their work. ASIS offers a collective which supports the individual practitioner and can offer guidance, peer support, structure and community to those within its body.

One of the benefits for ASIS members is the opportunity to share knowledge and information which allows for the development of best practice.

Be part of a committed community, intent and united on bringing this work into the world in a professional and ethical manner.

Insurance

Insurance is available to Professional Members who are resident in the UK, Ireland and most of Europe, specifically designed for those engaged in somatic and integrative sexology.

It is operative World Wide (excluding the USA & Canada) and is particularly wide in scope. It is available in three bands depending on the nature of your practice. Details of insurance cover

Attract more clients

By having a clear set of guidelines for professional conduct and hygiene standards, ASIS makes its members more publicly accessible and desirable to prospective clients. It takes enormous courage for most clients to seek out this form of therapy or healing and becoming an ASIS member will help new clients gain confidence in you as a practitioner, knowing that you meet certain standards and criteria. This effectively ensures ASIS members become the “practitioner of choice” amongst the public.

Professional Members can grow their practice by being included in the list of approved ASIS practitioners, which will be published here.

Professional Members are also able to use the “Professional Member of ASIS” logo on their website, giving especially new clients added trust and confidence in your work and in booking an appointment.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

ASIS is committed to providing access to high quality continuing professional development (CPD) programs and will keep members informed of relevant events.

Supervision, mentoring, ASIS circles and buddying

ASIS is primarily a self-regulating group of disparate practitioners. For our organisation to offer reassurance to the general public, it is important that our practitioners abide by our Code of Ethics and maintain appropriate standards and levels of rapport with their clients. ASIS Circles offer a space where members can exchange mutual support and challenge in a supportive, non-accusatory environment to get new perspectives and feedback on their work.

ASIS Circles are mandatory for all members and are based on the IPN (Independent Practitioners Network) groups system of ‘standing by’ one another.

As you get to know people within the community, you may also find people for buddying purposes to support your professional development.

ASIS also offers supervision and mentoring support services at reduced rates from experienced practitioners whom you can approach to support your professional development. A list of recommended supervisors will be listed on the ASIS website in due course.

Recognition and legitimisation as a profession

If you practice somatic and integrative sexology you already know how powerful and transformative this work can be. However as a new and cutting edge profession, there is a need for structures and standards to increase public confidence in this approach, which is why ASIS has been established.

ASIS also offers a sense of safety to the public that practitioners are practising ethically and meeting high standards of professional conduct.

As a professional body, ASIS also helps to gain credibility with other professions such as psychotherapy and medical practitioners. ASIS is keen to continue to develop partnerships with other professionals to best meet the needs of the people we serve.

There is a broad spectrum of practitioners practising some form of hands-on sexual work. ASIS carves a growing niche for somatic sexologists, clearly articulating what we offer and the benefits of this, even though each of us practises in a unique and varied way.

By forming a professional body, ASIS highlights the important work that we all do as somatic and integrative sexologists. It offers a framework for other professionals and members of the public to reference and takes this work one major step nearer mainstream acceptance. ASIS’s vision is that in the near future we will have the option of practising in a “high street” centre which is visible and publicly accepted.

Research and development

ASIS is committed to supporting projects that are designed to show the value of our practices.

While ASIS is not able to fund such studies, members may be willing to provide resources, or client case studies, utilise its network, or offer/recommend practitioner support to existing research programmes.

In addition, ASIS has its own research program, which we encourage interested members to join. Whilst there are additional administrative costs, these are kept to a minimum so far as possible. The purpose of the study is to measure the client outcomes of practitioners work. Details on request.